


The Life and Times of Tomoe Hotaru

by MercurianAmi (Sandy)



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: Angst, F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 07:13:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5576092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandy/pseuds/MercurianAmi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something is going on, and Hotaru wants to figure it out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Life and Times of Tomoe Hotaru

**Author's Note:**

> SS present for a big Hotaru fan, DGCat

Mysteries were afoot. Mysteries that 8-year old Hotaru knew were very important.

She had found a fully furnished and decorated nursery in what she thought was a spare bedroom, but she did not know why they would have a nursery. 

Hotaru thought maybe it was for Ms. Usagi and Mr. Mamoru’s baby, but the baby, who everyone already called Chibi-Usa, was not to be born until June. Still, Michiru-mama knew how much she wanted to help babysit the baby when she came, so maybe she had set it up for that purpose. Mama usually had perfect taste, but Hotaru would have picked different colors for Ms. Usagi’s baby.

Maybe it was that Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa wanted to have a baby of their own. She giggled imagining her Michiru-mama with a round pregnant belly like Ms. Usagi was already starting to develop. And though she knew it was silly, a tiny part of her wondered if they would still want and love her if they had their own baby. Or perhaps they would adopt again! Either way, she would be the best big sister! Hotaru thought she should choose one of her favorite lamps to give to the new baby, or to loan to Chibi-Usa.

There were other mysteries too. 

Michiru-mama always seemed a bit sad when she hugged her, and she had twice overheard Haruka-papa demanding that Setsuna-mama explain what was happening. Hotaru had never heard Setsuna-mama’s answer, as she’d gone to her room and shut the door and turned her favorite lamp on and off until the fear that had caused was gone.

And then there were the nightmares.

One was dark, but it did not terrify her. She felt strong during it, but woke up feeling guilty and scared. The other day, she had been drawing in the living room with her parents, and she drew a pretty but mean looking lady, pale with long dark hair, and wearing a black dress. When Haruka-papa asked who it was, Hotaru said she didn’t know, but she did not say she felt like she should know or that it was the lady from her nightmare.

The other nightmare left her clinging to Setsuna-mama, afraid--which was silly!--of her Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama, though she could not remember why.

“Hotaru, sweetie.”

Michiru’s voice snapped her out of her mystery-solving mode, and Hotaru clicked the lamp by her bed off as she looked at her Michiru-mama in her bedroom doorway. 

“Haruka-papa will be home with the KFC shortly. You want to help me set the table?”

She grinned and hopped off the bed, “Yes, Michiru-mama!” Every year for Christmas Eve, they like many other Japanese families, reserved a KFC Christmas Bucket with fried chicken, cake, and champagne, and every year, despite Haruka-papa’s muttering and Setsuna-mama’s warning about getting there before the line gets too long, Haruka-papa would go to pick it up. They would eat their feast, with Haruka-papa being hailed as a hero for picking it up, and then open gifts. Then Setsuna-mama would tell one of her very many stories from Christmases past.

Together, Hotaru and Michiru set the table with the good plates and crystal on top of an elegant red table cloth, and Michiru-mama set a small Christmas arrangement with candles and holly in the middle of the table. Even Hotaru was given a crystal flute for a little bit of champagne, though she knew she’d only be allowed a little before she had to switch to the sparkling white grape juice Michiru got for her. Which was fine; she liked being allowed a sip like a big girl, but she liked the taste of the grape juice better, and it still had bubbles!

Once the dining room was prepared, Hotaru ran to wait by the door for Haruka-papa. She bounced on her toes as she waited, and thankfully, the wait was not long. She must have texted Michiru-mama when she was on the way home.

When the tall blonde opened the door, Haruka grinned as she greeted her. “Welcome home, Haruka-papa! OH! It smells so good! You’re the best!”

Haruka chuckled and ruffled her hair with a somehow free hand as she balanced the Christmas feast in her arms. “Thank you, Firefly. We should dig in before it gets cold. C’mon, kiddo.”

They walked into dining room where Michiru-mama and Setsuna-mama were waiting. Michiru took the bucket, setting it on the waiting platter on the table and then took the champagne to set in a bucket of ice. Setsuna took the cake and set it on the table. Once Haruka’s hands were free, she grabbed Michiru and pulled her close and the two kissed. Hotaru giggled and then made gagging noises as she looked to Setsuna-mama who rolled her eyes and sighed and then winked with a smile to her.

With a laugh, Haruka let go of Michiru and then scooped up Hotaru in her arms. “Hey, you don’t know how ridiculous the queue was. I deserve that kind of welcome.” She kissed Hotaru on the forehead, and Hotaru hugged her papa before being set back down.

The meal was pleasant, and Hotaru forgot about her mystery as she ate and they talked, as she helped Setsuna-mama clear the table and clean the dishes, and as they gathered in the living room for presents and story.

She had made and decorated jewelry boxes for Michiru-mama and Setsuna-mama and a knick-knack box for Haruka-papa, because she did not wear much jewelry. They all exclaimed how much they loved them and gave her hugs and kisses to say thank you. She got new clothes, a new lamp shade, books, music books for Michiru-mama to teach her, and a new helmet for when she rode on the bike with Haruka-papa.

Then she snuggled between Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa as Setsuna told a story that made her giggle about a Christmas long long ago, that she swore really happened, though Hotaru knew it was made up, about a town where teenaged mice had offended Santa Claus and the clockmaker had to build a giant clock that would sing a song on Christmas Eve to apologize to Santa and to get him to not skip the town.

As her parents tucked her into bed, she kissed their cheeks as they each kissed her forehead and wished her a Merry Christmas. There were no nightmares that night, and she slept happily, even with her lamp off.

When Hotaru woke the next morning, she felt strange, as if her clothes did not fit right and she was being squeezed. As she sat up in the bed, she realized that’s exactly what was happening. The cuffs of her pajama top was squeezing her lower arms and the shirt itself barely covered her belly button. Confused, she got out of bed and examined herself in the mirror. She looked how she should, except for the too small pajamas, like a 12-year old girl, complete with an annoying and embarrassing zit.

“Mama? Papa?”

Finding them in the kitchen, with Michiru-mama staring into a hand-held mirror and Haruka-papa hovering nearby, she frowned. It seemed familiar and yet so very strange. 

When they looked at her and started to say something, she surprised herself by pre-empting them. “The darkness does not want the princess to appear.” Hotaru blinked. That sounded right, made sense, but was not what she meant to say.

Michiru-mama sighed and nodded, “That’s what the Mirror suggests too, but nothing more. I’m so sorry, sweetie. We’ll take the clothes back and get you some new stuff this afternoon. How are you feeling?”

Hotaru looked at her parents, her fellow senshi, and the pieces fell into place. She sighed as she dished out her breakfast. “How long ago was I a baby?”

“Well, not a baby so much as a toddler. You were almost three, growing normally, going to be only a bit older than Chibi-Usa until two weeks ago.” Haruka-papa scrubbed a hand through her hair.

As Michiru-mama hugged her, she saw Setsuna standing in the doorway, smiling sadly, and realized she might wind up younger than Chibi-Usa yet. “It doesn’t matter. We protect them one more time before Chibi-Usa’s born.” Hotaru tried to sound brave, even as she closed her eyes and leaned into her Michiru-mama.


End file.
